Mark Swinton is an outstanding organist and keyboard accompanist, currently based in the South West of England. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians.

He is Assistant Organist of Bath Abbey, where he plays regularly for congregational services and shares in accompanying the acclaimed Boy and Girl Choristers under the direction of Dr Peter King. He has appeared several times in the Abbey's Lunchtime Prom recital series and recently played for the Boys and Men of the Choir on tour in the Netherlands, including a concert in the Sint Laurens Grote Kerk (Alkmaar). Other recent recital engagements have been at the Cathedrals of Portsmouth, Truro and St Albans. His first overseas performance, at the Collegiale St Barnard, Romans-sur-Isère in June 2006, was recorded live for release on DVD.

In addition to his position at the Abbey, Mark serves as Accompanist to the Chantry Singers, a noted local chamber choir directed by Elizabeth Bates, which gives concerts in some of Bath's most outstanding venues.

Formative years

Mark received his education at the King's School, Chester, where the inspirational Director of Music, Dr. Barry Ball, encouraged him in musical activity of all kinds. As a piano pupil of John Gough, he won a number of Prizes at the Bromborough Festival, whilst organ studies with Roger Fisher at Chester Cathedral led to his appointment as Organist and Choirmaster at St Mary without-the-Walls, Handbridge, in 1997. (He remains the youngest person to have held this position in the church's 120-year history.) Two years later, he gave his first solo public recital at Chester Cathedral as part of their weekly Thursday Lunchtime recital series.

University education and development

Upon leaving school, he entered the University of York, working for the BA and MA degrees in Music and continuing organ studies with Dr Roger Tebbet, John Scott Whiteley and Dr Francis Jackson. The University's emphasis on developing high performing standards, in combination with scholarly excellence, afforded Mark with numerous opportunities to appear in public as a soloist and an ensemble player. His various performances on the Grant, Degens and Bradbeer Organ in the University's Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, together with a Spring Lunchtime Recital at York Minster in 2002, helped to establish him as a recitalist of virtuoso calibre. His accompaniment of the University Choir in a concert of Bruckner and Dvorak was critically acclaimed, and he also played organ parts for the University Symphony Orchestra in repertoire ranging from Britten's War Requiem to Satie's Parade. As a pianist, he frequently accompanied his fellow students in instrumental and song recitals, as well as in Masterclasses by distinguished visiting artists including Andrew Manze, Lynne Dawson and Thomas Thomaschke. As a continuo player, he played with the University Baroque Ensemble in performances of Bach's Johannes Passion, Handel's Israel in Egypt and concertos by Vivaldi and Telemann; he also made special guest appearances in both the European Union Chamber Orchestra and the Yorkshire Youth Orchestra.

During his last year at York, he served as Organ Scholar at Selby Abbey, playing for Sunday services and accompanying the Choristers on tour in France, where they visited St Eustache (Paris) and the Cathedral of St Etienne (Meaux).

Clifton

In 2003, he was appointed Organist at Clifton College, Bristol, where he played for daily Chapel services, undertook tutorial duties in a boarding house and inaugurated a series of recitals featuring some of Britain's finest organists. He accompanied the Chapel Choir in the Cathedrals of Lichfield and Salisbury, St George's Brandon Hill (Bristol) and on tour in Spain, including concerts in Barcelona Cathedral and the Parish Church of El Vendrell. His own recitals on the College's splendid 1911 Harrison organ included the first performance of a work written for him by York-based composer Bryan Boulter as well as complete performances of Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur and L'Ascension. Recital appearances elsewhere in Bristol included the Cathedral, St Mary Redcliffe Church, the two main city centre churches (Christ Church and St Stephen's); appearances further afield included Liverpool, Croydon and Oxford.

Within his time at Clifton, Mark also served twice as an Official Accompanist in the Bristol Festival of Music, Speech and Drama.